Help From The Past
by Kailor Aurelius
Summary: Setsuna can't get her head straight. She thinks her sword skills have fallen because of her lack of practice. But could she really be lacking something else? Like heart?


**Kaien: Yay! I'm back baby! My new story, for those of you who don't read the summary, is about Setsuna returning to the Shinmeiryu for awhile to get her head straight.**

**Naruto: Oh, cool.**

**Nuriko: OMG! At this part she gets her ass kic—UMPH!**

**Kaien: Let them read it, stupid!**

"This is our old student, Setsuna Sakarazaki. She has come asking for guidance." The girl with raven-black hair and onyx eyes bowed as the elders studied her.

"We will take your request. You will train under our best swordsman until you feel you are ready to return to your post at Mahora." Setsuna nodded and the young woman who had led her in, led her out and down the hall to a small hole in the wall.

"Crawl through."

"Pardon?"

"The hole. Crawl through it." Setsuna looked uncertainly at the small void then dropped to her hands and knees and disappeared into it.

Sunlight attacked her eyes and she stumbled to her feet, glancing around and blinking. She found herself in a large clearing with one, huge tree in its center. The branches stretched almost all the way across the clearing and their shadows fell across the ground. Underneath the tree was a small table with a cup on it. Setsuna walked over to it and looked down to find it full of hot cocoa and still steaming.

"_Wanay wachay layylo, O ta omaki-i-o. Wanay wachay layylo, O sha emanor I nay oh wa. Waka chaka ya ya. O sham onoy o. O sham onoy o. O sham onoy o. O sham onoy o, wanay wachay lay, eyanor I nay oh wa."_

Setsuna's head snapped back and she peered into the branches that hung not far above her head. Sprawled out across one limb was a boy not much older than her with shoulder-length reddish-brown hair and golden eyes. He was singing softly and when the lyrics ended he lifted a small wooden ocarina to his lips and began to play. The music wound through the air and wrapped around her very soul, squeezing and soothing. Setting her mind down a long road of serenity.

The last note hovered between them for a few moments then the boy gave a small snore and rolled off the branch. He landed flat on his stomach at her feet and murmured, "Owie…Thanks for catching me."

Setsuna watched him stand, jaw dropping as he rose a full three feet above her. "Are you my master?"

"If you're Setsuna I am. By the way…don't you remember me?" The girl starred harder for a moment, then gasped.

"Kailor!?"

"In the flesh, baby! Well, I was in the tree but—Ooph!" He grunted as Setsuna tackled him in a hug.

"I thought I'd never see you again! You're the best swordsman this school has now? They must be going through a rough patch."

"Hey!" Kailor laughed and patted her on the shoulder. "Well, time for you to get to work." And without warning he attacked her, his sword appearing in his hand. She leapt away only to find a dark wall of shadow blocking her escape. Kailor flashed towards her and his sword caught hers in the death roll. Her sword went flying and his slammed into her throat, forcing her against the wall of darkness. Her sword fell back down, cutting her arm as it passed. Suddenly her cheek split open and she felt the blood flowing. "_Too fast!"_

"Your heart isn't in the fight. Your muscles react but there's no strength in you anymore. I had more fight from you when you used to beat me awake every morning. Where is your heart Setsuna?"

The girl's eyes widened and she felt her mind being pulled to those days back at Mahora. In particular, a small girl with chocolate brown hair and eyes, always smiling, always happy, always there…

"Mahora…Your heart is in Mahora isn't it?" Setsuna blinked at him.

"How did you—"

"Know? Because I know Konoka Konoe goes to Mahora and I know you used to whisper her name in your sleep. So I know that there is where your heart lies. Plus I read your record. Ow!" She pinched him and shoved him away.

"Do you wish to continue this fight?"

"No."

"Then what do you want?"

"I want you to return to Mahora."

"…I can't go back." Kailor's lips twitched and he turned away.

"You should go back. That's the only way to cure your lack of heart."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive."

"Only fools are positive, Kailor."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive…Damn! I fell for it!" Kailor laughed and slapped her on the back.

"You always did." He pulled her sword from the ground and handed it to her. "Now…go. I don't have all day to take care of some shrimpy swordswoman." She slugged him in the arm and trotted over to the hole in the wall. Just before she left, she turned back.

"Thanks Kailor. I'll be back soon."

"Yeah, like two years soon, I'm sure."

"Are you positive?"

"Shut up." She laughed and crawled back through the hole. Kailor watched her feet draw out of sight, then climbed back onto his branch and sighed.

"How sweet. What a freaking reunion." He looked down to see his brother Jude leaning against the tree trunk.

"Shut up Jude."

"Yo momma."

"Yeah? Well your momma's so fat she fills up the tub, THEN turns on the water!"

"Your momma's so ugly they put her face on a poster for abstinence!"

Suddenly both boys went silent.

"…How dare you talk about our mom like that!"

"Me? You're the one who said she's on a poster for abstinence!"

Back at Mahora…

"Konoka!" The healer turned just as Setsuna jumped off the trolley cart she had been riding and landed before her.  
"Secchan, where have you—"

Setsuna grabbed her up and pressed her lips against Konoka's with her whole heart in it. Konoka smiled into the kiss and threw her arms around the swordsman's neck. When they both came up for air again, she asked, "What the hell brought that on?"

"Damn good question. I'm not really sure myself."

"Whatever it is…I like it!"

"See how you like this, Kono-chan." And their lips met again as the whole street started clapping and catcalling.

**Kaien: I really don't know why I wrote this one.**

**Naruto: Boredom does this to you.**

**Nuriko: It also results in things being born…like chibis. Chibis are evil. Chibi-Kaien, Chibi-Su, and Chibi-Lunar appear and Mega-Tama 73 attacks Nuriko**

**Nuriko: SEE WHAT I MEAN!? EVIL SHORTIES!**


End file.
